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A. NE WELL. PROCESS OF APPLYING GBLLULOID T0 KEY BOARDS. No. 423,075.

Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

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PROCESS OF APPLYING GELLULOID TO KEY BOARDS.

No. 423,075. Patented Mar. .11, 1890.-

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PROCESS OF APPLYING OBLLULOIYD TOKEY BOARDS. No. 423.075 Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

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A. NEWELL. PROCESS OF APPLYING GBLLULOID TO KEY BOARDS. No. 423.075. Patented Mar. 1.1, 1890.

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A. NBWELL. PROCESS OF APPLYING GELLULOID T0 KEY BOARDS. No. 423,075. Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

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(No Model) 6Shets-Sheet e.

A. NEWE-LL.

PROCESS OF APPLYING GBLLULOID T0 KEY BOARDS; No. 423,075. Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS NEWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF APPLYING CELLULOID TO KEY-BOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,075, dated March 11, 1890.

Application filed August 3, 1888. Serial No. 2i3l,906. (No model.

To. all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS NEWELL, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Applying Celluloid to Key-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 'to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My improved process relates to the simultaneous application to organ and piano keyboards and similar articles of the top and front strips of celluloid or similar material and the joining of said strips to each other.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 373,001, granted to WVilliam Carl Zeidler, November 8, 1887, there is described a process for applying single sheets of celluloid or similar material to surfaces of wood. I have madeimprovements upon said process whereby the two strips are simultaneously applied, and said two strips are united to constitute a single piece, and a lip is formed of the projecting edge of the top strip of celluloid.

To make my process clear, I shall describe how it is practiced by the use of a veneeringpress, which forms the subject-matter of another application for Letters Patent executed by me of even date herewith. Among the requirements for such work may be mentioned a uniform pressure over the portions of the key-board blank which are to be veneered, and highly-polished hard surfaces to lie in contact with the celluloid, which surfaces may be quickly heated uniformly throughout their area and quickly cooledr Certain features of said press form the subject-matter of Letters Patent of the United States No.

300,725, granted to me June 17, 1884, for imperspective View of the heating-plate and the polished plates. Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional .form.

views of the heating-p1ate and the polishingplates, Fig. 6 being enlarged. Fig. 8 is a section of a portion of the celluloid removed from the wood after the two strips have been united.

The drawings illustrate the press in duplex It may, however, be made duplex or single.

In said drawings, A is a bench composed of the body A and the legs A supporting said body. Upon this bench are arranged transversely and vertically a series of double clamparches A each having the upper horizontal arm A and the lower horizontal arm A. The arms A on each side of the press are horizontally in line, and the same is true of the arms A. A screw A extends vertically through each arm A and terminates at its upper end in a hand-wheel A The alternate screws A are made longer than the rest, in order that the hand-wheels A may overlap and yet be far enough from each other to avoid contact when being turned up or down. The lower end of each screw A is hemispherical, and each such end rests loosely in a corresponding socket A? in a plate A, the latter being of suflicient length to extend beneath the entire series of screws, and its lower side forming the surface which is to rest against the upon one side of the key-board and insufliciently upon the other sidein other words, by this construction the plate is caused to press evenly upon every portion of the keyboard blank. Since the screws A and plate A are not joined to each other, the raising of said screws will not lift said plate. I have provided a counter-balance to draw upwardly on said plate and cause it to follow the screws A when the latter ascend.

A cord B, attached to the plate A"near one end of the press, extends upwardly over one or more rollers B, and thence downwardly to a weight B Said weight drawing upon said cord counterbalances one end of the plate A and holds it against the screws A. A similar cord, roller or rollers, and weight are arranged at the other end of the plate A Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be seen how the adjacent ends of the two plates of a duplex press may be counterbalanced by a single weight B A single cord B may extend from one plate A over the roller or rollers B, toward the middle of the clamp-arch A and thence downwardly around a roller 12 attached to the weight B and thence upwardly over the other rollers B to the other plate A". Under this arrangement the weight B will draw equally upon both ends of the cord B at all times, and consequently draw equally upon both plates A", whether they are raised or lowered. If one plate A is raised or lowered while the other remains stationary, the weight B changes its position upon the cord B to occupy the lowest point.

For the sake of convenience in operation, the side of the key-board blank to whichthe top strip of celluloid, marked A, is to be applied is turned downward in the press and the edge (called the front) which is to receive the front strip of celluloid, marked A is placed inward in the press. For the purpose of applying the pieces of celluloid to the top and front of the key-board blank at one operation by the process described herein, I have made provision in this press for sim ultan eously pressing against said top and front a polished surface which may be first heated uniformly and then rapidly cooled. To this end the lower plate 0 has a broad horizontal upper surface 0, and at the rear an upward extension (1 having at its front a surface C continuous with the surface 0. Upon the surface 0' lies a highly-polished and even metal plate 0*, extending almost to the surface 0 From the space between the rearedge of the plate 0 and the surface 0 rises a plate 0, which extends a short distance above the extension 0 and is thickened above to extend forward and downward to form a lip C and channel 0. Said plate 0 may extend below into a channel 0 formed in the plate 0. From within said channel 0 another polished metal plate 0 extends downwardly along the plate 0 almost to the plate 0*. Said plate .0 is held in said channel c by pins 0 an d the space between its lower edge and the upper surface of the plate C is equal to the desired thickness of the lip a ot celluloid projecting outwardly as a continuation of the top strip A of the key-board. A series of arms C extend rearwardly from the extension (3 a few inches, and from the rear end of each such arm C a spring C extends forward and has its front end joined to the upper edge of the plate C by extending through the latter or otherwise. Immediately behind the plate 0 an eccentric rock-shaft C lies beneath the spring 0 Said shaft is held in place in bearings 0 Fig. 5, or merely in grooves in the 7 arms C One of the ends of said rock-shaft is provided with a handle 0 by which it may be rocked. By rocking said shaft all the springs C are crowded upwardly a little and the plates (L and C are raised sufficiently to allow the rear edge of the top strip A of celluloid to be inserted beneath the lower edge of said plate 0 The relative size of the parts should be such as that the plate 0 will not be raised sufiiciently to allow its lower edge to escape from behind the plate 0*, nor from the channel-c when the latter is used. The plate C may be retained in place upon the plate 0 by blocks 0. To provide for the heating and cooling of the polished surfaces, said plate 0 is made hollow to receive first steam and afterward cold water.

D is a pipe for the induction, and D a pipe for the eduction, of steam and water. In hollowing said plate 0, I prefer to extend a passage D lengthwise through said plate from the front edge back and forth, as shown in Fig. 7, thence transversely upward into one end of the extension C thence lengthwise through said extension and out at the opposite end, the pipes D and D being tapped into the ending and beginning, respectively, of said passage. The steam or water entering the pipe D passes first through the extension 0 and thence through every portion of the body of the plate and out through the pipe D. The pipe D communicates wit-l1 other pipes (not shown) leading to sources of steam and water supply, and are provided with suitable valves whereby the steam and water may be turned on or off at pleasure. The pipe D is continued as a waste and exhaust pipe for conducting the steam and water escaping from the plate Gout of the room or building.

The plate 0 may be fixed immovably upon the arms A directly beneath the plate A; but for convenience in operation I have provided for the shifting of said plate forward upon the arms A in which position the pieces of celluloid and the key-board blank to which they are to be attached and the adhesive which is to produce the adhesion may all be put in place. The plate with its work is then returned to its position beneath the plate A".

In shifting the plate 0 it is important that it be kept parallel. For this purpose I attach a toothed rack E to the lower surface of the plate 0 at each end of the latter, and I extend a rotatory shaft E horizontally through the arms A, parallel to said plates 0, and mount upon each end of said shaft a spurwheel E which is of suflicient diameter to mesh with the rack E. The wheels E being mounted upon the same shaft E must rotate in unison; consequently the racks E and the ends of the plate 0 must also move in unison, the result being that the plate shifts parallel. Te allow for this shifting of the plate 0 the pipes continued fromthe pipes D;and D may be. suitably hinged or. provided. with sections fi-hose- Since, as above stated, the operation requires pressure against the front strip A of celluloid. 3. Well as against the top strip A 1* provide another series of screws- F, extending. inwardly in the horizontal plane in which the key-board lies when in the press. Said screws bear. against the outer edge of the key-board blank A and forceit against the front strip A whereby the latter is in turn forcedagainst the polished plate 0 To adapt the press to receive key-boards of different widths it is desirable that the seats of the screws F be adjustable. To this end I have formed a channel a into the upper face of each arm A and have loosely fitted into each such channel a chair F, which latter supports the screw F. Said chair may be shifted back and forth in said channel and secured in any one of several positions by a transverse pin F extending through one of the holes F in the arm A A board G may be interposed between the screws F and the key-board A to prevent said screws from indenting the edge of the key-board.

The operation is as follows: The steam. and water being both turned off and the screws A being all raised and the plate A raised by the weights B and the screws F being retracted and the plate 0 shifted forward from beneath the plate A, and the plates A and A being raised by the rocking of the shaft 0 the top strip of celluloid A is laid upon the polished plate 0 with its rear edge eX- tending beneath the polished plate 0 and against the plate 0 The front strip A is then placed against the polished plate 0 its lower edge resting upon the other sheet of celluloid. The shaft C is now turned and the plates 0 and C let down, so that the lip C will be pressed with considerable force down upon the front strip A by the springs C". By means of a brush an adhesive containing a latent solvent of celluloid, as described in said Letters Patent to William Carl Zeidler, is now applied to the exposed surfaces of the celluloid, or the adhesive maybe applied to the surface of the keyboard blank. The key-board blank A is next placed ni h its top down against the top sheet of celluloid and its front against the front strip of celluloid. The plate 0 with the work is now shifted rearwardly beneath the plate A", the screws F driven inward against the key-board blank, and the screws A driven downward, so as to force the plate A upon the key-board. By this means both pieces of celluloid are simultaneously pressed closely against the wood of the keyboard, and the adhesive is caused to penetrate and incorporate itself with the fiber of the wood and to enter the joint between the two strips of celluloid, and the outer faces of both pieces of celluloid are simultaneously brought into close contact with the polished inetah surfaces, while the lower edge of the front strip of celluloid is being forced intov close contact with the upper face of the top strip 10f celluloid. Steam is now turned on from the source of steam-supply and allowed to fill 1 every portion of the plate O,including its extension 0 Thus said plate is quickly heated {and heat transmitted therefrom to the plates :0 and O ,'whereby the celluloid is softened iand made to conform to the polished surface }of the plates 0 and C and the alcoholin the iadhesive is rendered fully active,so, that it %will soften or liquefy the adjacent surface of ithe celluloid to a sufficient degree to establlish a continuity or union between said adhesive and said celluloid, and whereby the ex- ;cess of alcohol is finally dissipated and the adhesive and the celluloid reduced to a form ,iin which they will solidify under ordinary temperaturethat is to say, when the heat is withdrawn and the adhesive, the celluloid, and the wood allowed to cool. In the joint between the strips A and A the adhesive, thus rendered active by the heat, softens or liquefies both of the meeting surfaces of the celluloid, so that, aided by the pressure of the springs O, a continuity is established between the two strips of. celluloid and they become virtually one piece; in other words, the two pieces may be said to be welded together. In forcibly tearing the celluloid from the board when taken from the press the two strips adhere to each other and a section cut through the two strips shows a continuous mass of celluloid. This is illustrated in Fig. 8. By repeated experiment I have found that this union cannot be efiected without bringing the two strips into very close contact. I therefore cut the strip A in a machine which will make it of uniform width and strictly straight and then press said strip upon the strip A The strip A would,when softened by the heat, bend in response to the pressure of the springs C were it free to do so, but the plate C retains it at the side.

When it is desired to make the lip a thicker than the body of the strip A, the plate C is set at such height as that its lower edge will not quite reach the edge of the strip forming said lip. Then when heat and pressure are applied the softened celluloid will be pressed into the space beneath the lower edge of the plate 0 Th us the two pieces are united and the lip o is thickened at one operation. The steam is now turned off and the cold water turned on and allowed to run through the plate C, whereby the latter and IIO the plates C and C are cooled. The cooling of said plates cools the celluloid, the adhesive, and the wood, and entirely overcomes the softening action of the heat, the ordinary constituents of the celluloid being hardened and the small portion of alcohol remaining being rendered latent or non-solvent.

In the operation the channel 0 retains the lower edge of the plate 0 and prevents it from being drawn forward and bent by the withdrawal of the key-board, when, as is occasionally the case, a little of the adhesive has been pressed through the joint between the strips of celluloid and adheres to the plate C On now removing the board from the press the strips of celluloid are both well secured to the surface of the wood and are highly polished and hardened, so that the board may be at once sawed into keys and shipped to customers. It is obvious that the uniting of the two strips of celluloid adds greatly to the strength and finish of the work, and experience has proven to me that it is not practicable to make a perfect lip a without confining it between solid surfaces while pressure and heat are applied and while normal temperature is being restored.

I claim as my invention A process for the manufacture of keyboards and similar articles, said process consisting of inter-posing an adhesive containing a latent solvent of celluloid between the illner sides of ihe front and top strips of celluloid and the wood, the upper edge of the front strip meeting and being pressed against the lower face of the top strip before the cohesion to the wood is effected, then applying pressure to the outer faces of said strips of celluloid, then subjecting the whole to heat while under pressure, and then withdrawing the heat and restoring the whole to normal temperature, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS NEWELL. \Vitnesses:

SAMUEL DESPRES, CYRUS KEHR. 

